How A Grammy-Winning Guitar Riff Became 'The Esurance Song'

Jordan Passman
, ContributorI cover music, advertising & entertainment as the CEO of Score a ScoreOpinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Chet Atkins, whose fingerpicking style has been an inspiration to generations of guitar players, plays on June 23, 1998 in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Christopher Berkey)

You’ve probably heard it a few hundred times. The incredibly catchy Esurance guitar riff featured in all of their commercials is now synonymous with the brand. It all started in 2011, when Allstate purchased the American insurance company for $1 billion, and Esurance (in collaboration with their agency of record, Leo Burnett), launched the “Insurance For The Modern World” campaign. The strategy was straightforward yet challenging. They needed to communicate that this contemporary, internet-based insurance company is trustworthy and not some fly-by-night operation. Of course having the Allstate brand behind them was helpful, but they needed more than that.

Nancy Abraham, VP of Integrated Marketing Communications at Esurance explains, “We wanted to build an emotional connection and a brand that was friendly and approachable.” So began the down-to-earth and authentic approach, narrated by the helpful-neighbor voice of John Krasinski. Abraham continues, “When selecting the music, we wanted to make sure that it was confident, with a distinct personality.” Leo Burnett pitched the solo guitar riff to Esurance, they loved it right away and today it’s become their official sound -- from TV commercials to their on-hold music. Here's the latest Esurance spot:

So what is the Esurance guitar jingle? Well first of all, it didn’t start out as a jingle. It’s actually an instrumental tune written and performed by the renowned artist Chet Atkins, who is famous for creating the country music style known as the Nashville sound. Born in 1924, Atkins recorded this amazing guitar tune late in his career. Titled "Jam Man," this song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance. Atkins passed away in 2001.

Chris Clark, Director of Music at Leo Burnett explains, “The fact that people call it the Esurance song, but that it's really a Grammy Award-winning song by an American musical legend is incredible. You really can't ask much more from a song when a brand is gaining that much equity from the music.” Listen to the full tune here:

It’s true. When you look at the brands who are taking advantage of sonic branding it’s usually within the scope of a two- to seven-second jingle, a tag at the end of their commercials (i.e. a mnemonic), or by utilizing a consistent aesthetic across a campaign, such as Subaru. But what Esurance has committed to over the past five years is remarkable, and unique to any other brand in advertising. Their entire campaign has been one big push for sonic branding, focused on one song, which has forever embedded itself in our ears.

So why does “Jam Man” work so well? Consistency is very on-brand for the messaging of an Insurance company–reliability is everything. The quirky soundtrack also offers a complementary wink to the voiceover and humor throughout the campaign. The tune is timeless and doesn’t get old. Even if you are sick of hearing it, the impact is undeniably effective; you can close your eyes and still recognize an Esurance commercial by ear, just because of that riff.

According to Esurance, brand trust has increased since introducing this campaign, so I think it’s safe to say that this marketing strategy has been hugely successful. Esurance should be recognized for doing something musically that no one else is doing: committing to one song, and sticking with it.

Jordan Passman is the Founder & CEO of SCORE A SCORE, an LA-based company focused on simplifying custom music and licensing.